“Is it possible for you to lie?”
His eyes lightened. His tongue darted out, swiping the sharp point of his nearest fang. A smile lingered on his lips. “Dayborns can’t lie. But they can walk in the sunlight. I’ve often wondered if I’d trade one ability for the other.”
Well, that answered her question. Vow or no, Shea had no intention of asking Julian anything when she was willing to bet that he’d lie to get what he wanted without even thinking twice about it.
Lie—or worse.
She still couldn’t get his ruthlessness out of her head. How quickly he lashed out, how he watched Hudson writhing at his feet with only a quirk of his eyebrow, her brother’s blood dripping from his claws.
And then, as if he could read her mind—and maybe he could, she didn’t know how a blood-bond worked, not exactly—Julian added casually, “Oh, and to answer your other question? Why aren’t I concerned you might sell me out? You wouldn't do that, darling. Not unless you want me to repay your betrayal by putting your precious shifter’s head on a spike as a warning to other Para traitors.”
He would do it, too. There was no doubt in her mind. And, Goddess help her, he was so pleased with the idea of decapitating Colton, his lust mingling with anticipation scared the absolute shit out of her.
There was no time to clamp her mouth shut. A terrified scream ripped out of her.
The Nightwalker paused where he was, closing his eyes in bliss as the high-pitched shriek echoed around them. Slowly lifting his lids, he grinned, careful to show off his extended fangs.
He rasped, “Do it again.”
She couldn’t help herself.
“Yes,” moaned Julian. His light grey eyes gleamed before rolling back in his head. “That’s my girl.”
He reached down, stroking himself again, just like he’d done that night at Bloodlust. Shea strangled her scream, a whimper replacing it when she realized that she was in a bed, they were alone, and the Nightwalker was undoubtedly aroused.
Julian gave himself a small shake, steadying himself. His eyes were still bright and they turned devilish when he noticed where she was staring. He gave his erection a soft pat. “Not tonight, my darling. Not yet. First, we must complete another blood exchange. Once that one takes, then I’ll finally be able to join you in that bed.”
Shea gasped—and only part of it was in response to what he said.
Julian took his claw and drew a five-inch line down his forearm. As soon as the blood started to ooze out from behind the slice, he smiled.
“Now this? This will make sure I can keep tabs on you myself, my darling, so that no one gets inside of that cunt before I do. I trust Rafe, but he has no betrothed. He doesn’t understand what an insult it is to discover my darling might be mating a dog.”
“What? No, I—”
“Tut. Tut. Don’t lie. It’s pointless. We’re going to do this my way or, I suppose, I might have to call my good friend Hudson and see what he thinks.”
Hudson...
The insinuation was clear. If she refused whatever he wanted from her, it would be Hudson who paid for it.
That didn’t make it any easier to accept his bullying. Or the blood glistening in the light from the single lightbulb.
No.
No.
Frightened, Shea scrambled to the edge of her bed, desperately trying to cobble some kind of spell together.
No use. She was too scared, or maybe she’d blown out her meager reserves of magic when she turned on the light. Didn’t matter. There was nothing she could do to protect herself.
She was a healer, not a fighter.
Shea squealed as he seemed to fly around the corner of her bed, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her into the crook of his left arm.
There wasn’t anything she could do. He pressed his right forearm up against her nose and her mouth, cutting off her air supply unti
l he was sure some of the blood had made it inside of her mouth.